Get bumped? You're due cash, not a voucher

QUESTION: I was slated to fly from Boston to Rome. I arrived at the airport about 2½ hours ahead of my scheduled 6:15 p.m. takeoff. After waiting for almost two hours in a huge line, airline staff closed off the ticket/boarding pass gates. We were told that they would be with us shortly. After about a half hour, the staff then announced that there was no more room left on this flight!

I was bewildered because I had purchased my ticket in April and here it was September. I was among about 10 people who were shut out of this flight because the flight was overbooked. After unsuccessfully trying to get on a 9:45 p.m. flight on another airline, my options were: Take a flight the next night at 6 p.m. to Milan and then change planes after a layover to Rome; wait two nights and fly Boston to Rome on a similar flight. I
ANSWER:
The airline may have pulled a fast one here. You were bumped, and according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, bumping compensation rules apply to all flights originating in the United States, no matter where they're headed. Those rules stipulate compensation ranging from $400 to $800 per passenger, depending on the cost of the ticket and the length of the delay. You would be entitled to the full $800.

There's only one condition that may have applied in this case: If the airline substitutes a smaller plane for the one it originally planned to use, the carrier isn't required to pay people who are bumped as a result. You should file a complaint with the DOT and go back to the airline and explain that they are not following the rules. Write the DOT at Aviation Consumer Protection Division, C-75, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh St. S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590, or visit airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/problems.htm.

I was bumped from my flight last week, which caused me to arrive at my destination two days later and $500 lighter (hotel bills and meals), and all I was given was a measly $400 voucher. This can't be normal, can it?

Normal, yes. Acceptable, no. Airlines sometimes bump passengers who booked a lower discounted fare to accommodate walk-ups who willingly pay the big bucks for those last-minute fares. Also, you were entitled to cash, not a voucher good for future travel. Anyone who is bumped should insist on cash; needless to say, the airlines prefer handing out vouchers as it impacts their bottom line less.